മുംബൈ പോലീസ് (Mumbai Police) (2013)

Director: Roshan Andrews
Writers:  Bobby, Sanjay
Cast:       Prithviraj, Jayasurya, Rahman
Language:Malayalam

ACP Antony Moses finds the killer of his friend ACP Aryan Jacob and just before revealing it, he meets with an accident which leaves him with amnesia. Days later, he is forced to investigate the murder once again by retracing his steps.

The film was good commercial success and received positive reviews for its slick execution and the ending that could be termed as bold and shocking for an Indian film. I couldn't watch it when it hit the screens but was aware about the basic plot through a friend of mine, Daivd Lazar, whose review of it is as follows: http://reviewreels.blog.com/2013/05/04/mumbai-police-review/ 

I am gonna spoiler the film since the plot holes largely relates to the twist itself. The basic gist of it is that Antony Moses is a homosexual and his friend discovers about his sexuality and threatens to report it to higher officials so that he is not dangerous to society. This prompts Antony to kill his friend and subvert the subsequent investigation. The main problem I had with it was that Antony Moses seems to have forgotten about his sexuality after his amnesia causing accident. The ever reliable internet tells me that it is not possible since Amnesia affects only parts of memory whilst sexuality is based on how the brain is wired. Lets leave that plot-hole aside (suspension of disbelief) and concentrate on the next one which really lets the film down. The homophobic reaction by his friend Aryan is very unrealistic and Antony's reaction to the video which prompts him to confess is also unrealistic. They could have easily done a better fist of it by making it either a case of cheating in a love triangle or just by eliminating the third person and making it a case of misinterpretation of relationship between the two main characters Antony and Aryan. Either of this would have justified the motivations behind the murder and confession. The confession relies very much on Antony seeing that video which shows that Aryan had changed his mind. But the recording of the video and him threatening Antony is supposed to have happened during the same night before the shooting which is also not credible. All this changes if Aryan was also secretly gay and was let down by seeing Antony with another man. Clues for this is also given in the earlier part of the film and if that is the case then it is really brilliant. But I think it is a case of them kind of compromising on the twist and making a hash of it.

The execution of the film is very good and even though I knew about the plot which relies very much on a twist, it was a great watch since it is done in a nuanced way giving us sufficient clues about the twist. The jumping between the timelines is done seamlessly and the expositions are also done very neatly unlike most other Malayalm film thrillers. The Antony Moses prior to the accident is portrayed as a very rough character giving credibility to the plot and I liked Pritviraj's performance despite his ever present smugness which is quite suitable for this role. It is very good watch and could have been a a great one had it not been for those plot-holes.

Rating: 3.5/5

Mission: Impossible III (2006)

Director: J.J. Abrams
Writers:  Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, J.J. Abrams
Cast:       Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Michelle Monaghan, Ving Rhames

Ethan Hunt comes face to face with a dangerous and sadistic arms dealers while trying to keep his identity secret in order to protect his grilfriend.

Mission Impossible was a TV series in US television that was broadcast from 1966 through 1973. It introduced the agency IMF (Impossible Mission Force) which operated primarily by using confidence tricks, infiltration and high technology on its targets. The IMF agents usually deceive their targets into cooperating with them without detecting any kind of deception until the impossible mission is carried out. The structure of an episode followed a predictable path with the first half used to develop the story of target with the IMF agents coming only in the second half. The famous soundtrack usually kicks in during the opening credits shown against a fuse being lit.

The film franchise based on the TV series kicked off with the Brian Dd Palma directed installment Mission Impossible. In the films the agents are more like a commando unit rather than ones operating primarily through cleverness and deception. There is not much time given for developing the bad guy. Mission Impossible when it came out was received very well primarily because compared to other action films from that time it was kind of different due to its grittiness. Obvious comparison is to made with the Pierce Brosnan starring James Bond films which were you know well shit. Mission Impossible One hasn't aged very well but is still a good one time watch. The greatest thing about it is that the legendary tune is not used until the final action sequence. The second Mission Impossible was directed by John Woo and ten minutes was all I lasted. The laughably bad opening rock climbing scene followed up with the self destructing message (a running theme) was enough to fuck it off. I haven't seen the fourth one, Ghost Protocol, which was received quite well when it got released.

The best thing about Mission Impossible 3 is Philip Seymour Hoffman with the rest of it being very average. Ethan Hunt is kind of semi retired with him taking a trainer role for IMF recruits and is trying to lead a normal life with his girlfriend (Michelle Monaghan) who doesn't know about his background. The core of the story is supposed to be him being forced to do an impossible task to save his girlfriend. Tom Cruise and Michelle Monaghan have next to no chemistry. You get all the running themes of the franchise like Ethan Hunt falling and hovering above ground on a thread, self destructing message,  Boss being bad twist and of course the soundtrack. The customary Tom Cruise sprinting scene is also there about which there is a funny compilation video in youtube titled evolution of his runs.

There are plenty of set piece sequences, some of them good and some average. The film starts off really well with the flash forward scene of Ethan Hunt being interrogated by Philip Seymour Hoffman's character (Owen Davian) establishing who is really going to boss the film. We are literally waiting for Owen Davian to appear again on screen amidst Ethan Hunt doing all his circuses. To be fair to Tom Cruise he himself does most of the stunts giving it some authenticity. The script is at times terrible doing expositions and laughably cringe-worthy lines with the 'Oh wait, I love you' (give me a fucking break!) being the highlight. The film marked the end of the distribution partnership Tom Cruise's production company had with Paramount Pictures which was a big setback for him.  The main reason for Paramount to end it was his private life antics which was turning the audience against him. Thats what you get if you are part of the studio big budget tent-poles- you live by the sword you die by it. J.J. Abrams got the directorial gig on the strength of 'Lost'  and  'Alias' both of which I haven't seen. The film had the highest budget for a directorial debut with with it coming around $150 million.

Rating: 2/5

Collateral (2004)

Director: Michael Mann
Writer:    Stuart Beattie
Cast:       Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx, Jada Pinkett Smith

A cab driver (Max) finds himself the hostage of an engaging contract killer (Vincent) as he makes his rounds from hit to hit during one night in Los Angeles. He must find a way to save both himself and one last victim.

One could say that it works like a buddy film with shades of True Detective in the portrayal of the two characters. Tom Cruise's Vincent in the 'Rust Cohle' cold philosophical mode and Jamie Foxx's Max as the naive man believing in the 'American Dream' and all that shit. When I watched it for the first time some years back I didn't think much of Jamie Foxx's performance which I thought was a bit stereotyped. On second watch I guess I was a bit harsh on him even though I still have problems with the strength of relationship shown between Max and Annie (Jada Pinkett Smith). I also have problems with Max's shitty island postcard which I thought was just too cheesy. 

The story hints that Vincent was using Max to frame him for the murders and finally kill him as the detective Fanning (Mark Ruffalo) suspects. I don't think that necessarily is the case since all the killings Vincent is carrying out are related to one single case. But one can never say for sure and this ambiguity serves the film very well. One could also say that as the film progresses Max becomes more like Vincent and vice-versa. What makes the film different from the usual action films is that many bystanders get killed which is a big no no in Hollywood. In a typical Hollywood film, Mark Rufallo's Fanning character don't get killed but in this one he is killed off with nonchalance by Vincent and it serves as the breaking point for Max. What is great about it is that, even though it never tries to portray Vincent in a positive light in any sort of way, we are really sad to see him go. It got nothing to with him being played by Tom Cruise in a very much against the type manner but basically because it is the most interesting and mysterious character in the film. It is certainly up there with Tom Cruise's best roles along with Magnolia, Eyes Wide Shut and Rain Man. 

It was the first major film to be shot using Viper Filmstream high definition camera and Michael Mann opted for it since he thought that digital filming would suit better for the night environment of the film. The scene of coyote running across the road was unplanned and that improvised scene serves the film well. The highlight set-piece of the film would be the club scene set to Paul Oakenfold's 'Ready Steady Go' which was also used in Bourne Identity's mini chase sequence. If I were to rank Michael Mann's films, Collateral sits in the the top three along with 'The Insider' and 'Heat'. I haven't seen Manhunter yet but some people consider it as the best Hannibal Lecter film. The Last of the Mohicans is also a great one time watch. 

Rating: 4/5
 

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

Director: Tomas Alfredson
Writers:   Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughan, John le Carre
Cast:        Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Toby Jones, Benedict Cumberbatch, John Hurt, Mark Strong

In the bleak days of Cold War, espionage veteran George Smiley is forced from semi-retirement to uncover a Soviet agent within MI6.

The film is an adaptation of John le Carre's novel with the same name which had earlier been adapted as a BBC seven part mini series. Some of the minor criticism that the film received was with regards to the dilution of complexity that comes with condensing the universe that John le Carre created into a two hour feature film. Having not read the novel, I found the film to be sufficiently complex and non-expositionary to be enjoyed as a standalone film especially when contrasted with the other films that usually come in this genre. The plot can be quite hard to follow with lots of things happening all of a sudden as it move towards the end but the pacing is just about right and it is refreshing when the filmmakers treat their audience as intelligent beings capable enough to decipher things. 

I was watching it for the second time and was trying to figure out whether it was kind of predictable in the way 'Whodunnit' films usually sets up the culprit as a total surprise. To be fair the predictability in the film is more due to the casting choice rather than the way things unfold.  

Tomas Alfredson had earlier directed the excellent 'Let the right one in' and his next project will be 'The Snowman'. It is quite some feat for him to direct such an incredible cast without getting overwhelmed in his first major budget English film. The bleak English weather in the period setting is captured just about the right way with the colour tone he uses in the film which is in sharp contrast with many other period films where everything looks extra shiny. Have to say that Gary Oldman is getting a bit typecast these days in the wise older man roles and I would love him to do something similar to the mad stuff that he did in the 90s like 'Leon' and 'True Romance'.

Rating: 4.5/5

Conte d'été (A Summer's Tale) (1996)

Director: Eric Rohmer
Writer:    Eric Rohmer
Cast:       Melvil Poupaud, Amanda Langlet, Gwanaelle Simon, Aurelia Nolin
Language: French

A shy Maths graduate takes a holiday in Dinard waiting for his girlfriend Lena. She is late and he strikes up friendship with another girl Margot. She in turn introduces him to a further lady (Solene) who fancies him. Thus the young man finds himself having to manage this situation which is kind of novel for him. As Margot, whom he kind of friend-zoned, tells him that he is like a bum who wakes up as a millionaire having no  idea what to do.

Richard Linklater's Before trilogy is certainly among the best one could  find in the romantic conversational type genre. It certainly is very realistic but a drawback that one could say with that is that the couple in question adds too much star quality in those films even though the level of maturity shown by them in terms of thought process  kind of justifies. But at the end of the day they are not that relatable even though you kind of nods in agreement with what they say. A Summer's Tale is like a rawer version with the characters exhibiting a level of intellectualism that borders on the pseudo territory which makes it much more relatable. It is much harder to pull off because doing extremes is easy since the filmmakers also tend to be on extremes when it comes to talent and thinking. The characters can be quite irritable but no rulebook says you have to like the characters in a film to enjoy the film. 

The three girls in the young man's summer fits into the three of the four broad stereotypes that one could fit people into based on intellect and beauty. His girlfriend Lena is both intellectual and beautiful but he doesn't have a strong hand (George Costanza speak) in that relationship and feels a sense of inferiority with her. Margot is an intellectual but plain looking and even though they both kind of try to keep their relationship at the platonic level she is attracted to him. Solene is the stereotyped cheerleader type of girl. None of the ladies are kind of ideal for him and he likes to have the decisions taken out of him by circumstances like the ending of the film suggests.  

The film is the third one in Eric Rohmer's Tales of Four Seasons which also includes 'A Tale of Springtime', 'A Tale of Winter' and 'Autumn Tale'. This is the first film I have seen from Eric Rohmer and I will certainly check out his other films. He dies in 2010 and was part of the French New Wave in the sixties. One can certainly see his influence in the works of Richard Linklater and Noah Baumbach,  both of whose films I enjoy a lot.

Rating: 4/5 

La Voie lactée (The Milky Way) (1969)

Director: Luis Bunuel
Writers:   Luis Bunuel, Jean-Calude Carriere
Cast:       Paul Frankeur, Laurent Terzieff, Alain Cuny
Language: French/Sapnish

Two drifters go on a pilgrimage from France to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Along the way, they hitchhike, beg for food, and face the Christian dogmas and heresies from different ages.

The title refers to the the fact that the original name for Milky Way was 'Way of St. James' which directed pilgrims from northern Europe to Spain. The film plays with time with the two main characters encountering individuals from older times in the modern setting of the film including Jesus Christ who is depicted as more of an ordinary man with him  joking around, feeling hungry, making mistakes and so on. Luis Bunuel was a prominent atheist during his time and he coined the phrase:'Thank God I'm an atheist'. Through his many films he had rallied against moralism and organized religion. This film works as vignettes of absurdisms he wants to present about Catholic dogma. Things like trinity of Christian God, Freewill in the context of omnipotent God and Virginity of Mary are discussed pointing out how people cannot get their head around these things when they actually think about it. The so so called heresies shown in the film are historicall accurate with the end credits preceded by the following statement from Bunuel:

“

Everything in this film concerning the Catholic religion and the heresies it has provoked, especially from the dogmatic point of view, is rigorously exact. The texts and citations are taken either direct from Scripture, or modern and ancient works on theology and ecclesiastical history.

”

The film is not very cinematic but is a decent enough watch. For atheists like me who are not that interested in the lunacies associated with Christian faith (or any faith for that matter) the film doesn't hold much interest. Better to watch much more slapstick yet poignant ones like 'Life of Brian' which I think would have been influenced by this film.

Rating: 2.5/5

피에타 (Pieta) (2012)

Director: Kim Ki-duk
Writer:    Kim Ki-duk
Cast:       Min-soo Jo, Jung-Jin Lee, Ki-Hong Woo
Language: Korean

A loan shark is forced to reconsider his violent lifestyle after the arrival of a mysterious woman claiming to be his lost mother.

The title refers to the Italian Pieta (Pity) referring to depictions of the Virgin Mary cradling the corpse of Jesus. When I saw the film I was not aware about the poster showing something similar and didn't get the Christian references while watching the film apart from a big cross that is shown in some of the initial scenes. South Korea has a growing Christian population and the pope also visited the country recently. When you have this overt christian symbology coupled with showing an incestual kind of relationship, you will definitely attract controversy which it did. But to be honest this film is quite tame compared to most other Kim Ki-duk films when you compare the level of violence and shock factor. The story is also much more straight forward and quite cliched when you look at it in the macro sense.

I was reminded of Oldboy when I watched it and revenge is a theme that is quite specialized by Korean films. It is kind of a reverse take on Oldboy's plot-line with almost everything being the complete opposite. I was not that impressed by the film till about the last 20 minutes since it just seemed to be a very ordinary film with nothing hidden from the audience even as the main protagonist is kept in the dark.  It is just another tale of revenge and redemption with the industrialization and consumerism of South Korea as the backdrop for general unhappiness. The last twenty minutes of the film is quite affecting with us genuinely rooting for the protagonist which is quite an achievement for the director. Kim Ki-duk specializes in these kind of films where despite the violence and questionable deeds done by the characters we care deeply for them. 

I don't consider many of the Kim Ki-duk films in the great category but he is consistent when it comes to making odd little films that are very watchable even though you are forced to look away  by the things that he depicts on screen. This is a good entry point for those who haven't seen any of his films because the story is quite mainstream but still it carries many of the Kim ki-duk's trademarks. For those who are familiar with his work it is not that impressive just because of the above stated reason. It won the Golden Lion at Venice and it was the first Korean film to win top prize at one of the three major international film festivals-Venice, Cannes and Berlin.

Rating: 3/5